Israel vilified in Parliament, four Jews protest and get thrown out

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Another Palestine Return Centre meeting in Parliament. They have it in clover: get a tame MP or Lord to book a room at no charge; that MP/Lord chairs it and calls for anyone who challenged the lies to be thrown out (four Jews last night); the police outside the door then enforce the decision, however undeserved; the meeting then continues as an Israel hatefest with no-one to bear witness. All courtesy of the taxpayer.……..

Professor Pullan spoke about how the ‘occupation’ has been bad for Jerusalem. She neglected to mention that in 2015 Jerusalem was 36% Muslim and 61% Jewish, versus just 21%/75% after the Six Day War in 1967. She also said that Har Homa is a “settlement”. It isn’t. Most of the land — 75% — was expropriated from Jews. She talked about the security fence – of course without mentioning WHY it was built – to save lives from terrorist attacks. She suggested that Israel creates National Parks in order to obstruct Arab development.

Professor Hawwash told us about how he had recently been refused entry to Israel. I wonder why he was barred …. maybe because he is a leading advocate of a boycott to sabotage Israel’s economy and the Vice Chair of the PSC – which he calls an ‘anti-Israel government policy’ organisation, not an anti-Israel organisation. Appallingly he suggested that Israelis are “breaking into” the Al Aqsa Mosque and that Israel “is an expert in inciting hatred”. The truth Is that Jews have very limited access to the Temple Mount – and are not allowed to pray there! As for ‘inciting hatred’ – one look at Hamas TV or Palestinian schoolbooks shows who is ‘inciting hatred’. The fact that Israel wants peace has been demonstrated time and time again: eg the Peace Treaties with Egypt and Jordan and the exodus from Gaza in 2005.

Professor Green also has form. And here. Last year she was on the shortlist of two for the position of UNHRC Special Rapporteur on the Palestinian territories (she lost out to Michael Lynk). She is on record as saying that Israel has a “criminal government”, and she believes it is “time to stand up against Israeli state violence”. She supports the total boycott of Israel, wants Hamas de-listed as a terrorist organisation, and has wondered why the British and Americans have not begun “bombing Israel for its massacres”. Tonight she was true to form. All the defamatory hate clichés came out: “settler-colonialism”, “the State of Israel is in many senses premised on ethnic cleansing”, “unique form of apartheid”, “800,000 Palestinians evicted from their homes at gunpoint in 1948” (Not true of course).

Professor Green quoted many statistics. One in particular was questioned in the Q+A by Sharon Klaff. Green had said that “7.4 million of the worldwide Palestinian population of 11.2 million has been displaced”. The source she quoted was a 2013 report from the “Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics”. That ‘fact’ and source is also quoted here. So I checked it out. The source appears to be here. No mention of the ‘fact’! In any case, how could such a statistic be produced? There are no national statistical records of those who self-define as ‘Palestinians’. The UK 2011 Census for example returned no details of ‘Palestinians’ living in the UK. It is a fake statistic. Similarly Professor Green cited few sources for her ‘statistics’. And of course she mentioned the security fence without (again) mentioning why it was built: to save those whom the terrorists wished to randomly murder. And she mentioned the checkpoints in the barrier, without of course referring to the reasons why Palestinians need to be checked. She said they are a demonstration of “Israeli power”!

Then the Q+A. Incredibly Hendrick’s response to the accusation of ‘bias ‘ of the panel was “this is a Palestinian Return Centre meeting, it is not supposed to be a cross-section of views”! Yes but how about remaining even slightly connected with the truth?

The meeting degenerated into chaos as the group of pro-Israel activists protested about the lies. The anti-Israel audience silenced Richard Millett by clapping loudly and protractedly. Hawwash said that Israel does not want peace and falsely accused me of “hating Palestinians”. And absurdly: “If Israel had been created in Uganda, does anyone believe the Palestinians would have formed militant groups to go and kill Jews?” And “Israel blackmails schools in East Jerusalem – you use our curriculum, we give you money.”

Hendrick’s response? To ask the police in the corridor to throw out four Jews (me, Sharon Klaff, Richard Millett, Mandy Blumenthal). Even though they had been completely silent throughout the three presentations – until the Q+A – like good dhimmis. So much for free speech!

Welcome to taxpayer-financed vilification of Israel – with moreover no opposition broached. A disgrace.

About the Author

Jonathan Hoffman is a blogger who has written for United With Israel, CiFWatch (now UK Media Watch), Harrys Place and Z-Word.